Boon for Nightingales

*US $ 40m state of the art training institute

*Push for foreign employment prospects

Rasika SOMARATHNA

A state-of-the-art, internationally accredited nurses’ training institute is to be constructed in Sri Lanka shortly, at a cost of US $ 40 million. The facility, a first in the country will include a nurses’ training college, a 100 bed hospital, hi- tech laboratories among others and will focus on training nurses for overseas employment.

The Saudi Arabian firm, Saudi Health Investment Company will invest in the facility. Local authorities will seek US expertise in training nurses in line with the best global practices. The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the Saudi Health Investment Company entered into an MoU to conduct the facility in Colombo.

SLBFE chairman Amal Senalankadikara and SHIC head Dr Mohammed Ameen signed the agreement in this regard during Senalankadikara’s recent visit to Saudi.

The SLBFE will take necessary steps to secure jobs in overseas health institutions for nurses who graduate from the facility.

The SLBFE said there was high demand for quality nurses in the global employment market and the facility to be established would help a large number of nurses who aspire to work abroad in obtaining necessary qualifications in line with expected international standards. The SLBFE said they have already negotiated with a number of countries in Europe, the Middle East and the USA to obtain jobs for Sri Lankan nurses.

They said it is being done under the guidance of Foreign Employment Promotions and Welfare Minister Dilan Perera.